ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to assess the association of serum adiponectin and a set of traditional cardiovascular risk factors with carotid artery intimal-medial thickness [CIMT] and coronary artery calcium score [CACS], as markers of subclinical atherosclerosis in subjects with early type 2 diabetes mellitus. Carotid artery intima- media thickness [measured by B-mode ultrsonogra-phy], coronary artery calcium score [determined by high resolution computed tomography], serum adiponectin, Fasting blood sugar, serum lipids, body mass index [BMI], systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure were measured in 123 asymptomatic newly diagnosed cases of type 2 diabetes mellituss and 152 age and sex matched healthy control subjects. Serum adiponectin and lipids were significantly lower in those with type 2 diabetes mellitus [P<0.01]. Left, right and mean carotid artery intima- media thickness, coronary artery calcium score, fasting blood sugar, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure were significantly higher among diabetic patients compared to healthy controls [P<0.05]. Mean carotid artery intima- media thickness was positively and independently related to age [P<0.001] and triglyceride [P=0.01] in diabetic group. Coronary artery calcium score was associated positively with age [P=0.004] and inversely with high density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol [P=0.002] among diabetics. Although adiponectin was lower in diabetics compared to controls, it had no significant association with carotid artery intima- media thickness and coronary artery calcium score as markers of subclinical atherosclerosis. In patients with type 2 diabetes in addition to age, serum triglyceride levels are correlated with carotid artery intima- media thickness, while HDL cholesterol is inversely correlated with coronary artery calcium score